Front sight.



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P ATBNTED DEC. 3, 1907.

WEBSTER L. MARBLE, OF GLADSTONE, MICHIGAN.

FRONT SIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed March 18 1907- Serial No. 363,036.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WEBSTER L. MARBLE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Gladstone, in the county of Delta and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Front Sights, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gun sights, and its object is to provide a front sight which is cheap to manufacture, mechanically exact, strong and durable.

It consists in a sight composed of a suitable base to which is secured a strip of thin sheet steel, bent to the proper shape and providing an eye into which the head is forced, where it is held by the resilience of the metal.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sight embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the sight before the bead is inserted, and Fig. 3 is 121 longitudinal section of the completed slg t.

A suitable base plate 1 is provided, having beveled edges, as shown, so that it can be readily secured to the gun barrel by sliding it into the undercut groove made therein, as usual. On top of this base plate is placed a bead holder 2 composed of a strip of thin sheet steel bent to the shape shown; that is, with a central elevated eye 3 from which depend two inwardly curved and diverging legs 4 terminating in feet 5 which lie fiat upon the base plate. Rivets 6 or other suitable fastening devices secure the feet to the base plate. The plane of the strip is parallel with the axis of the gun barrel, so as to coincide with the line of sight and offer only the thickness of the plate to the eye of the person using the gun. There is thus a clear view through the sight below the eye 3 as well as on both sides of and above it.

The shank 7 of the bead 8 is made a trifle larger than the eye, and its end is slightly tapered, so that when it is forced into the eye, the latter, being openon one side, will expand a little, and by its resilience it will clamp the bead tightly. If the bead is i made of ivory or some other material which is liable to shrink and fall out of a solid eye, the resilient eye of my improved sight will contract automatically and hold it securely.

Another important advantage of this construction is, that the bead is always exactly in the center of the metal surrounding it, and the latter is smooth and of uniform thickness; whereas in the case of a sight made of machined steel the rim of the eye is liable to. be slightly eccentric owing to imperfect drilling, machining or polishing. The fine quality of the steel and its temper enables it to stand much more severe service than the sights milled from bar steel.

The fact that the bead is held by the resilience of the eye enables one to change it quite readily, either to replace a bead that is defective, or to insert one of a different color.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. A front sight for firearms consisting of a base plate, and a bead holder composed of a strip of steel bent to form an eye and two depending legs.

2. A front sight for firearms, consisting of a strip of steel doubled to form an eye open along one side, and a bead forced into said e e.

3. A front sight for firearms, consisting of a strip of resilient metal doubled to form an eye open on one side and two curved legs depending therefrom.

4. A front sight for firearms, consisting of a strip of resilient metal forming an eye, two depending legs curved inwardly, and a base plate to which said legs are secured.

5. A front sight for firearms, comprising an eye formed of resilient metal, and a bead normally larger than said eye clamped therein by the resilience of said metal.

6. A front sight for firearms, comprising a bead composed of material that is liable to shrink, and an eye receiving said bead and capable of contracting automatically to constantly clamp said bead.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WEBSTER L. MARBLE.

Witnesses JAMES J ONES, CLAUDE HAwKINs. 

